ILOILO City – The Iloilo City Uswag Molecular Laboratory’s inauguration and blessing was held on Oct. 14.
“This new facility will be of great help in leveling up the local healthcare system of Iloilo,” said Mayor Jerry Treñas.
The molecular laboratory, located in Barangay San Pedro, Molo district, is a Level 2 biosafety facility with molecular testing machines and equipment.
This facility has been accredited by the Department of Health (DOH), and recognized by the agency’s Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM), garnering 100% quality assurance rating.
“With the new lab, and its floor area, it is one of the largest laboratories in the whole Philippines,” said Uswag Molecular Laboratory head Annabelle Rosario Blancaflor.
It initially focuses on coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) testing, but the same equipment can also be used to test for other diseases and ailments.
The molecular laboratory team assures to provide quality healthcare to the Ilonggos and has recently completed monkeypox training but is awaiting DOH testing approval to execute its tests.
Meanwhile, the temporary molecular laboratory located just across the newly-opened laboratory will be turned into Uswag Iloilo City Clinical Laboratory and Diagnostics Center.
Ultrasound, electrocardiogram (ECG) and x-ray machines will be housed in the diagnostic center, which is also equipped to handle routine blood tests like complete blood count (CBC) and blood chemistry including fasting blood sugar (FBS), cholesterol, uric acid, serum glutamic pyruvic transaminase (SGPT), and screening for diseases such as tuberculosis (TB) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
The clinical lab construction is set to commence in the first quarter of 2023.
This is a part of the city’s initiatives to function in conjunction with the centerpiece in providing adequate healthcare services to the llonggo community.
Aside from Treñas and Blancaflor, also present at the inauguration were Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon, city councilors, City Health Office officer-in-charge Dr. Anabelle Tang, and DOH. (With a report from Iloilo City PIO)/PN
